Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-12-11
MRS. JAMES BROWN POTTER.
Candid and DISCRIMINATING Crit
ScFsru nta EyPr Perfo r m anceS.

EfaNul Sh
The New York Erening Post ia one
Of q few newspapers in New York
whose dramatic critic, SO far as out
ward indications so, has never been
bought, bullied, or coaxed to print
fiattering untruths about actors. Its
estimate of the abilities of Mrs. James
Brown Potter, therefore, has unusual
value. We append part OF its article
printed the day after her firt pro-
fessional appearance in New York:
When Mrs. Potter made her ap-
pearance in the second act she was
greeted, literally, with storm Of APP
plause, renewed again and again,
with waving OF handkerchiefs and
with a volley Of bouguets--such a
tribute, in short, as is offered to
transcendent genius Of any kind ex-
cept in walking upon the stage, and,
perhaps, the enthusiasm was ne> er
quite SO warm again, but it was re-
newed at every opportunity and was
maintained with special vlgor at the
end of each act. Mrs. Potter's
friends had ordained triumph, and
in furnishing it loaded her with hon
ors such as have been bestowed but
rarely upon even the greatest actors
OF the time.
Without the least disposition to be
harsh in the case of IA beginner, or to
dispute the good intentions Of this
young woman's friends, it must be
pointed out that their conduct in this
Instance WAS not only supremely IL
dHulous in itself, but extremely in
iurious tothe object Of their ad nlations.
who is disposed already, unless she
has been belied in the purlic prints,
to creiit herself nth natural DIR 'natic
gifts of the rarest quality. After last
nishi she cannot be blamed Very much
il rhe considers herself the equal cf
Bernhardt or Modjeeka. And vet, a.
4 sinple matter Of TACT, set down here
with all delibertion, but with every
desire to be both just and
courteous, there has scarcely
been u dehutante of any promise in
recent years, who has exhibited 20
little control over the elementary prin-
ciples of her adopted art, or exhibited
fewer signs OF decided natural ability
She is filgrant example of the folly
Of beginning at the top without MAX
ing sure of ha, ing some of the qualiti.
cations necessary at the bottom. and
tn re il reason to fear that the mistake
she has made is irremedi.ble, and
whatever pecuniary success she may
secure by means of notoriety, she will
never be entitled to serious considera-
hon as an artist.
Her present faults, Of course, are
mainly those which are common to
most novices, and it is possible that
she may overcome them, but it must
be remembered that src has been
acting in public for long time and
has had great deal OF experience,
though much ol it, unfortunately, has
been of very bad kind. The danger
is that some of the most serious faults
Of her style are already chronic.
They certainly y are not the result OF
nervous usness. A more rOml .etely
self-possessed young woman has sell
dom been seen before the footlish's.
She is intensely self-conScious, or ap-
pears to be 50, and is always striving
to make d pose for pictorial effect.
There is scarcely trace OF si,on-
taneity or sincerity in what she
does, and she does not seem
to have any power of sustained
impersonation. If at one moment she
exhibits ha-h of emotion or u touch
Of sentiment, she relaxes in the next
into mere colloquialism. Her gestures
are labored and often wooden, the de-
sign in them being exposed in the
most artle-s way, and her Evolutionary
methods are very bad. There are
times, indeed, when it is difficult to
understand what she is talking about.
This is especially the case in those
passages where she has to feign ex-
citement, as her utterance becomes
less and less Ineligible as it grows
more rapid
1t must not be imagined that her
performance is wholly bad, for her
personal manner is by no means de-
void of charm, and in some Of tho
more stirring scenes she c'eated a fa-
vorable impression. Her work gen, l.
ally was about equal to that OF clever
amateur. That it should be offered
al the performance OF star Is pre-
posteroue.